2025-present
Ombudsperson of the University of Cologne for the Investigation of Scientific Misconduct

2025
Visiting Fellow, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge

2024-present
Speaker of the scientific board of the State Prevention Council of North Rhine-Westphalia

2020
Visiting Fellow, Clare Hall, University of Cambridge

2018
Visiting Professor at Strathmore University, Law School, Nairobi, Kenya

2017, 2019
Visiting Professor at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

2014-2015
President of the Kriminologische Gesellschaft (Scientific Association of German, Austrian and Swiss Criminologists)

2012-2024
Member of the managing board of the Kriminologische Gesellschaft (Scientific Association of German, Austrian and Swiss Criminologists)

2012-2020
Elected Member of the Fachkollegium 113 (Law) of the German Research Foundation (DFG)

2009-present
Professor of Criminology and Criminal Law, Director of the Institute of Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Cologne

2009-2021
Member of the scientific board of the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN), Hannover (2017-2021 as Chair of the scientific board)

2006-2009
Full Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Jena

2005-2006
Replacement Professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Economic Crime and Criminology, University of Dresden

2004
Replacement Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, University of Cologne

2003
Habilitation

1997-2004
Researcher at the Criminological Research Unit (2004 renamed: Institute of Criminology), University of Cologne

1997
Doctorate

1996/1997
Internship, United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division, Vienna, Austria

1992-1996
Researcher at the Department of Criminology, University of Bonn

1986-1993
Studies in Law, Political Sciences and History at the Universities of Bonn and Munich (Law: both state exams; Political Sciences: Magister)

• Prison studies, in particular institutional climate, violence, drugs
• Criminology of crimes under international law
• (Everyday) crime in the Global South
• Youth crime
• Green criminology
• Organised crime